Anyone wanna test this? RunOnceEx Replacement.

[simply_simon]

Okay. This is the latest version, so I'm posting it on the first page of this thread.

It's a very simple installer that uses a small text script to install your software. Screenshot is below:

Download it from here.

Feedback is always welcome so let me know how it works for you. Also many thanks go to Hoovahh for his contribution to this project.

Edited February 27, 2006 by simply_simon

[Doc Symbiosis]

Download doesn't work for me. Says that file is missing.

[simply_simon]

Looks like I've missed a couple of things. Needs COMCTL32.OCX to run, so it's gonna have to be imported using $OEM$ folder and then registered. Also might need Virtual Machine installed too.

I've been using MS Virtual PC to test with, but my machine is rather slow, so results are a little slow coming.

UPDATE: OK, now the darn thing works! I've updated the download now so it's got everything in it. Just copy everything into %cdrom%\$OEM$\$$\system32\ and make sure that you have 'OEM preinstall' selected in your WINNT.SIF file. Change the instloader.ini file to suit and use the RunOnce registry key to run it (If you know anything about RunOnceEx, the syntax is just the same, except there's no GUI after the reboot. It just runs the proggy you ask it to).

This is what my RunOnce.cmd file looks like:

cmdow @ /HID
@Echo Off

SET KEY=HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

REG ADD %KEY%\001 /V 1 /D "%SystemDrive%\windows\system32\preinst.exe" /f

EXIT

Edited January 22, 2006 by simply_simon

[muiz]

And what if there are more things of one program to install?

example:

REG ADD %KEY%\045 /VE /D "Ad-Aware Pro SE V1.06" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\045 /V 1 /D "%CDROM%\Software\adaware\adaware.exe /S" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\045 /V 2 /D "taskkill /IM Adaware.exe /F" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\045 /V 3 /D "taskkill /IM hh.exe /F" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\045 /V 4 /D "taskkill /IM Ad-Aware.exe /F" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\045 /V 5 /D "%CDROM%\Software\adaware\defs.exe" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\045 /V 6 /D "%CDROM%\Software\adaware\dutch.exe" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\045 /V 7 /D "%CDROM%\Software\adaware\sites.exe" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\045 /V 8 /D "%CDROM%\Software\adaware\Lavasoftprefs.exe" /f

How does this look in the instloader.ini ?

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Quite simply WOW!!!!

Do you use WPI? Do you think you could make this work with WPI??

[MOONLIGHT SONATA]

@simply_simon

Well, it's amazingly beautiful...irony is that it deals with RunOnceEx but its sheer beauty compelled me to Run"Infinite"Ex...

simply_simon can you please modify it to spare us from clicking any start button to start the list of install? I wish there's only one cancel button for any SOS cancellation of installation.Otherwise, your gem should be intelligent enough to recognize any switch in order to start installation without the need of any manual click.

after a long long time you came along with a real GUI to the RunOnceEx. Thanks & please look into the matter....

@MOONLIGHT SONATA

[thorus]

Can it be skinable from a file or something ?

[simply_simon]

Okay! Sorry for not answering straight away. I've been busy testing and pushing this to it's limits to try and iron out the bugs.

First of all, I was using Installrite for certain installers, which also tends to speed up the installs a bit. What happens though, is when you use a lot of these in succession, you get a white space instead of the installing text. Also, the XP visual style is missing for a few secs (Has anyone tried this? Looks far better with the XP Style). I believe I'll be able to get rid of this with a short pause in the sequence.

I'm going to work on a skinnable interface, because I'll probably get into trouble sooner or later for the XP logo that is on the current version. The plan is to eventually give the end user a choice of designs to pick from (In the config file).

@Muiz, you'd be able to call multiple commands using a batch file (Which will start minimized in any case, so you'll not see it during install). I prefer to use batch files anyway, even in runonceex, because it looks a lot cleaner.

@kelsenellenelvian, not sure what you're asking there. I guess you could call it from WPI, but I'm not quite sure why you'd want to do that, as WPI does the same job (Excellently). I would definately like to have a look into this though. You'd have to tell me exactly what you were looking to do, but I would love to be able to contribute in some way.

@MOONLIGHT SONATA. Thanks for the encouragement. I put the start button in because the interface wasn't showing up until after the first installer had finished. Hopefully a short pause will sort this. The cancel bit is proving tricky because of the way the API function to open the programs works. I'm trying to find out how to reliably kill this process when cancelling (TODO). It may be that I'll have to block the cancel function altogether until I can sort it (Don't know if it's really necessary anyway).

Thanks for the comments guys. I came up with this because wanted a smaller interface and something that looked a bit tidier than RunOnceEx. Now I know that there is some interest, I'll get to work on improving it! I'm going to post the source code up at some point also (It's in visual Basic) in case anyone wants to have a Play with it.

Edited January 29, 2006 by simply_simon

[MOONLIGHT SONATA]

@Simply Simon

when i wrote about Cancel button, modesty was in my mind and i wished not to hurt your effort, which in line of your name is just simply_superb. It would be great if there's no CANCEL button, as there's no need to cancel anything if your tool works fine.

P.S. what is the latest version of COMCTL32.OCX to use?

++++MOONLIGHT SONATA

[simply_simon]

The one included will do fine. The version of VB I'm using is several years old so the Common controls are just as old too! You will notice a manifest file with the EXE. This is to enable XP's own visual controls, instead of the boring square ones!!!

Just to answer your question though, the version number I'm using is 6.0.81.5 and it's included in the RAR.

[simply_simon]

Just finished a new version. Should clear up a few things. Not planning a skinable version or a user interaction version just yet (I want to see how this one goes first). Download link changed in first post. Or Click Here. The source code is now available on my website also if anyone wants to have a go with it (VB6).

Give me loads of feedback!!!!

Edited January 30, 2006 by simply_simon

[hooovahh]

Hello simon, I very much enjoyed your little VB program. for some reason my runonceex doesn't work right and it doesn't show what is getting installed. So your program is a perfect fix. I'd like to try at tweaking is some my self. You know change what text the user sees, small stuff like that.

What I'm trying to say is thank you very much for your controbution.

[simply_simon]

Hey no problem. I'm in the process of writing it up in c++, but the VB one seems to be working well. Glad to see it's appreciated. Just giving back for all the help this forum's given me the past couple of years.

[hooovahh]

I am in no way saying that my program is better than your, I just wanted to show you what I was able to come up with in under an hour, and with absolultly no visual basic skills.

Thank you very much simon, your code as inspired me to look into coding in visual basic. And thanks for posting your code, so some one like me can just jump into it and see how it works. Thanks a million

Edited February 2, 2006 by hooovahh

[Lost Soul]

looks very impressive, id like to see this work in conjunction with wpi